us_allFri Dec 12 19:12:33 EST 2014w1es1000.worldbank.orgUnited States | World BankWorld Bank FeedDoing Business 2015 : going beyond efficiency - United StatesThis economy profile for Doing Business 2015 presents the 11 Doing Business indicators for The United States. To allow for useful comparison, the profile also provides data for other selected economies (comparator economies) for each indicator. Doing Business 2015 is the 12th edition in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business; for 2015 The United States ranks 7. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 189 economies from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and over time. Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business known as indicators. Ten of these areas are included in this year's ranking on the ease of doing business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Doing Business also measures labor market regulation, which is not included in this year's ranking. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2014 (except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period from January to December 2013).</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000477144_20141107153851&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-11-07T05:00:00.000Z2014-11-07T05:00:00.000ZE-Business|Business in Development|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business Environment|Environmental Economics & PoliciesEnvironment|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishDoing Business 2015 : going beyond efficiency - United StatesWorking PaperEnglishRest Of The WorldE-Business|Business in Development|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business Environment|Environmental Economics & PoliciesEnvironment|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesOwner occupied housing : the puzzling divergence of U.S. rents and user costs, 1980-2004 : summary and extensionsThis paper constructs, for the five largest cities in the United States, user costs and rents for the same structure, in levels (i.e., measured in dollars). The levels formulation is an advantage over indexes since one can answer questions like Is it cheaper to rent or to own? or Are houses overvalued? These new measures are constructed using Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) Interview data from 1982 to 2002, along with house price appreciation forecasts from Verbrugge (2008). The property value of a median house is used to construct both a price/rent ratio and a user cost estimate for this structure over time in each of the five cities. We find that, for the median structure in each city, the estimated user costs and rents diverge to a surprising degree, in keeping with the previously noted findings of Verbrugge (2008). Moreover, it is not always cheaper to own: the estimated user costs sometimes lie well above rents.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000470435_20140918135917&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-09-18T04:00:00.000Z2014-09-18T04:00:00.000ZEconomic Theory & Research|Markets and Market Access|Debt Markets|E-Business|Information Security & PrivacyInformation and Communication Technologies|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishOwner occupied housing : the puzzling divergence of U.S. rents and user costs, 1980-2004 : summary and extensionsWorking PaperEnglishRest Of The WorldEconomic Theory & Research|Markets and Market Access|Debt Markets|E-Business|Information Security & PrivacyInformation and Communication Technologies|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesUnited States and World Bank Group trust fundsThe United States (U.S.) of America's contributions to the World Bank Group (WBG) totaled U.S. 17,779.9 million dollars for fiscal years 2009-14. In the first six months of fiscal year 2014, the U.S. contributed U.S. 239.0 million dollars to International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International Development Association (IDA) trust funds (TFs), U.S 1,259.9 million dollars to Financial Intermediary Funds (FIFs), and U.S. 6.6 million dollars to International Finance Corporation (IFC) TFs. The number of active TFs at end of FY14 was 69, including 44 IBRD and IDA TFs, 17 FIFs, and 8 IFC TFs. The U.S. ranked 1st among development partners in terms of contributions to WBG TFs over fiscal years 2009-14. U.S. contributions were received mainly from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), at 76 percent. This portfolio at a glance brief contains the following headings: WBG TFs receiving cash contributions; top WBG TF agreements (first two quarters of FY14); IBRD and IDA TF disbursements; and WBG TF portfolio comparisons.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20140812120020&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-08-12T04:00:00.000Z2014-08-12T04:00:00.000ZDebt Markets|Post Conflict Reconstruction|Corporate Law|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Fiscal & Monetary PolicyLaw and Development|Conflict and Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishUnited States and World Bank Group trust fundsBriefEnglishRest Of The WorldDebt Markets|Post Conflict Reconstruction|Corporate Law|Bankruptcy and Resolution of Financial Distress|Fiscal & Monetary PolicyLaw and Development|Conflict and Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesWelfare dynamics measurement : two definitions of a vulnerability line and their empirical applicationLittle research currently exists on a vulnerability line that distinguishes the poor population from the population that is not poor but that still faces significant risk of falling back into poverty. This paper attempts to fill this gap by proposing vulnerability lines that can be straightforwardly estimated with panel or cross-sectional household survey data, in rich- and poor-country settings. These vulnerability lines offer a means to broaden traditional poverty analysis and can also assist with the identification of the middle class or resilient population groups. Empirical illustrations are provided using panel data from the United States (Panel Study of Income Dynamics) and Vietnam (Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey) for the period 2004-2008 and cross-sectional data from India (National Sample Survey) for the period 2004-2009. The estimation results indicate that in Vietnam and India during this time period, the population living in poverty and the middle class have been falling and expanding, respectively, while the opposite has been occurring in the United States. </div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000158349_20140624135011&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-06-24T04:00:00.000Z2014-06-24T04:00:00.000ZRural Poverty Reduction|Regional Economic Development|Population Policies|InequalityPoverty Reduction|Health, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic GrowthUnited States|Vietnam|IndiaRest Of The World|East Asia and Pacific|South AsiaEnglishWelfare dynamics measurement : two definitions of a vulnerability line and their empirical applicationPolicy Research Working PaperEnglishRest Of The World|East Asia and Pacific|South AsiaRural Poverty Reduction|Regional Economic Development|Population Policies|InequalityPoverty Reduction|Health, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic GrowthUnited States|Vietnam|IndiaMaking remittances work : balancing financial integrity and inclusionThe September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States exposed the use of remittance channels for financing terrorism. Acting on this, the international community, through the financial action task force (FATF), issued first international standard to require the licensing or registration of money transfer businesses (MTBs) and to make them subject to anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML and CFT) requirements. This study aims to assess current practices, draw lessons learned, and assist policy makers in designing an effective regulatory and supervisory framework governing remittances that not only meets AML and CFT international standards, but also supports a country's overall financial inclusion objectives. The study's assessments and recommendations are based on extensive research and analysis, including primary survey data received from 26 remittance sending and receiving countries. The report follows on the 15 bilateral remittance corridor analyses (BRCAs) undertaken during 2004-10 by the financial market integrity (FMI) unit of the World Bank and three BRCAs undertaken by the Government of the Netherlands using the methodology developed by the FMI unit of the World Bank. The study is organized as follows: chapter one analyzes the various business models for remittance services currently in existence, and the various types of agent networks of MTBs available for the distribution of remittances. Chapter two elaborates on AML and CFT risks related to products, market structure, regulation, and supervision; discusses how innovative products and services for remittance transfers such as mobile money and internet-based money transfer may pose new threats and risks; and includes a discussion on the appropriate risk mitigation techniques so as not to constrain the remittance market from developing and innovating. Chapter three describes the various regulatory frameworks that MTBs encounter around the world, including different types of laws and regulations affecting them, sheds light on how AML and CFT requirements can be implemented, and provides a comprehensive analysis of customer due diligence (CDD) requirements as a crucial element to effectively fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Chapter four discusses licensing and registration regimes for, and appropriate regulatory approaches toward, MTBs; examines the conditions that must be fulfilled in order to apply for licensing or registration. Chapter five discusses the various AML and CFT supervisory models and identifies potential strengths and weaknesses in each of these models; elaborates on the supervisory practices of competent authorities, along with the challenges faced by MTBs in implementing relevant supervisory requirements; and discusses the risk-based approach (RBA) to supervision of MTBs. Finally, chapter six focuses on establishing an effective AML and CFT regime while supporting broader financial inclusion and highlights key policy recommendations underlined by a RBA that encourages flexible implementation of the AML and CFT framework.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20140606133543&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-06-06T04:00:00.000Z2014-06-06T04:00:00.000ZRemittances|Access to Finance|Population Policies|Debt Markets|Currencies and Exchange RatesHealth, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishMaking remittances work : balancing financial integrity and inclusionPublicationEnglishRest Of The WorldRemittances|Access to Finance|Population Policies|Debt Markets|Currencies and Exchange RatesHealth, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesDoing business 2014 : Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)This regional profile presents the Doing Business indicators for economies in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). It also shows the regional average, the best performance globally for each indicator and data for the following comparator regions: East Asia and the Pacific, European Union, Latin America, OECD High Income, and South Asia. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2013, except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period January to December 2012. Regional Doing Business reports capture differences in business regulations and their enforcement across countries in a single region. They provide data on the ease of doing business, rank each location, and recommend reforms to improve performance in each of the indicator areas. The report sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 11 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and employing workers. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 189 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. The data set covers 47 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 25 in East Asia and the Pacific, 25 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 20 in the Middle East and North Africa and 8 in South Asia, as well as 31 OECD high-income economies. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000260600_20140604125125&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-06-04T04:00:00.000Z2014-06-04T04:00:00.000ZE-Business|Debt Markets|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business in Development|Business EnvironmentPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentSingapore|Hong Kong SAR, China|New Zealand|United States|Malaysia|Korea, Republic of|Australia|Taiwan, China|ThailandEast Asia and Pacific|Rest Of The WorldEnglishDoing business 2014 : Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)Working PaperEnglishEast Asia and Pacific|Rest Of The WorldE-Business|Debt Markets|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business in Development|Business EnvironmentPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentSingapore|Hong Kong SAR, China|New Zealand|United States|Malaysia|Korea, Republic of|Australia|Taiwan, China|ThailandDoing business 2014 : OECD High IncomeThis regional profile presents the Doing Business indicators for economies in OECD High Income. It also shows the regional average, the best performance globally for each indicator and data for the following comparator regions: European Union, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. The data in this report are current as of June 1, 2013, except for the paying taxes indicators, which cover the period January to December 2012. Regional Doing Business reports capture differences in business regulations and their enforcement across countries in a single region. They provide data on the ease of doing business, rank each location, and recommend reforms to improve performance in each of the indicator areas. The report sheds light on how easy or difficult it is for a local entrepreneur to open and run a small to medium-size business when complying with relevant regulations. It measures and tracks changes in regulations affecting 11 areas in the life cycle of a business: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and employing workers. Doing Business presents quantitative indicators on business regulations and the protection of property rights that can be compared across 189 economies, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. The data set covers 47 economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, 33 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 25 in East Asia and the Pacific, 25 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 20 in the Middle East and North Africa and 8 in South Asia, as well as 31 OECD high-income economies. The indicators are used to analyze economic outcomes and identify what reforms have worked, where and why.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000260600_20140604144254&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-06-04T04:00:00.000Z2014-06-04T04:00:00.000ZDebt Markets|E-Business|Emerging Markets|Business Environment|Competitiveness and Competition PolicyPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentNew Zealand|United States|Denmark|Korea, Republic of|Norway|United Kingdom|Australia|Finland|IcelandEast Asia and Pacific|Rest Of The World|Europe and Central AsiaEnglishDoing business 2014 : OECD High IncomeWorking PaperEnglishEast Asia and Pacific|Rest Of The World|Europe and Central AsiaDebt Markets|E-Business|Emerging Markets|Business Environment|Competitiveness and Competition PolicyPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentNew Zealand|United States|Denmark|Korea, Republic of|Norway|United Kingdom|Australia|Finland|IcelandLivestock data in the United States : how is it collected?Yet 60 years later, livestock survey data is regularly and extensively used in the United States (U.S.) by various stakeholders to formulate agricultural policies, monitor programs, observe, develop new programs and services, and evaluate industry performance. Farm survey data is integrated with trade statistics, industry-based slaughter statistics and other related data, to provide an up-to date picture of the industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), supported by an annual budget of about U.S. 159 million dollars, is the entity which conducts hundreds of surveys every year and prepares reports covering many aspects of the U.S. agriculture. To ensure adequate coverage of the livestock sector, NASS regularly undertakes approximately 12 livestock, 13 poultry, and 4 dairy surveys, the frequency of which varies depending on the product. The collection and analysis of timely and accurate livestock data facilitates the ability of planners to support sector development and optimizes investment decisions while minimizing uncertainties and risks associated with the production, marketing, and distribution of livestock and products.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20140522115426&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-05-22T04:00:00.000Z2014-05-22T04:00:00.000ZLivestock and Animal Husbandry|Dairies and Dairying|Rural Development Knowledge & Information Systems|Wildlife Resources|E-BusinessAgriculture|Rural Development|Environment|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishLivestock data in the United States : how is it collected?BriefEnglishRest Of The WorldLivestock and Animal Husbandry|Dairies and Dairying|Rural Development Knowledge & Information Systems|Wildlife Resources|E-BusinessAgriculture|Rural Development|Environment|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesAnalyzing urban systems : have megacities become too large ?The trend toward ever greater urbanization continues unabated across the globe. According to the United Nations, by 2025 closes to 5 billion people will live in urban areas. Many cities, especially in the developing world, are set to explode in size. Over the next decade and a half, Lagos is expected to increase its population 50 percent, to nearly 16 million. Naturally, there is an active debate on whether restricting the growth of megacities is desirable and whether doing so can make residents of those cities and their countries better off. When analyzing whether megacities have become too large, policy makers often analyze a single city in depth. But no city is an island: improving urban infrastructure in one city might attract migrants, and a negative shock in one location can be mitigated because people can move to another. Considering the general equilibrium effects of any such urban policy is thus key. That is, when deciding whether to make medium-size cities more attractive, policy makers need to understand how cities of all sizes will be affected. The second section briefly summarizes the theoretical framework and discusses which data are needed. The third section implements the methodology for the benchmark case of the United States. The fourth section does the same for China and Mexico and compares the findings. And the last section concludes. A technical online appendix guides the reader through a practical, step-by-step, discussion of how to do the analysis.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000158349_20140520092717&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-05-20T04:00:00.000Z2014-05-20T04:00:00.000ZCity Development Strategies|Urban Slums Upgrading|Urban Services to the Poor|Regional Governance|Urban Governance and ManagementGovernance|Urban Development|Communities and Human SettlementsWorld|United States|Mexico|ChinaThe World Region|Rest Of The World|Latin America & Caribbean|East Asia and PacificEnglishAnalyzing urban systems : have megacities become too large ?Policy Research Working PaperEnglishThe World Region|Rest Of The World|Latin America & Caribbean|East Asia and PacificCity Development Strategies|Urban Slums Upgrading|Urban Services to the Poor|Regional Governance|Urban Governance and ManagementGovernance|Urban Development|Communities and Human SettlementsWorld|United States|Mexico|ChinaUrbanization as opportunityUrbanization deserves urgent attention from policy makers, academics, entrepreneurs, and social reformers of all stripes. Nothing else will create as many opportunities for social and economic progress. The urbanization project began roughly 1,000 years after the transition from the Pleistocene to the milder and more stable Holocene interglacial. In 2010, the urban population in developing countries stood at 2.5 billion. The developing world can accommodate the urban population growth and declining urban density in many ways. The most important citywide projects -- successes like New York and Shenzhen -- show even more clearly how influential human intention can be. The developing world can accommodate the urban population growth and declining urban density in many ways. One is to have a threefold increase in the average population of its existing cities and a six fold increase in their average built-out area. Another, which will leave the built-out area of existing cities unchanged, will be to develop 625 new cities of 10 million people -- 500 new cities to accommodate the net increase in the urban population and another 125 to accommodate the 1.25 billion people who will have to leave existing cities as average density falls by half. </div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000158349_20140520100633&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-05-20T04:00:00.000Z2014-05-20T04:00:00.000ZPopulation Policies|Urban Housing and Land Settlements|National Urban Development Policies & Strategies|City Development Strategies|ICT ApplicationsInformation and Communication Technologies|Urban Development|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human SettlementsWorld|United States|ChinaThe World Region|Rest Of The World|East Asia and PacificEnglishUrbanization as opportunityPolicy Research Working PaperEnglishThe World Region|Rest Of The World|East Asia and PacificPopulation Policies|Urban Housing and Land Settlements|National Urban Development Policies & Strategies|City Development Strategies|ICT ApplicationsInformation and Communication Technologies|Urban Development|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human SettlementsWorld|United States|ChinaDoing business 2014 : United States - understanding regulations for small and medium-size enterprisesThis economy profile presents the Doing Business indicators for United States. In a series of annual reports, Doing Business assesses regulations affecting domestic firms in 189 economies and ranks the economies in 10 areas of business regulation, such as starting a business, resolving insolvency and trading across borders. This year's report data cover regulations measured from June 2012 through May 2013. The report is the 11th edition of the Doing Business series.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000260600_20140514152845&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-05-14T04:00:00.000Z2014-05-14T04:00:00.000ZE-Business|Business in Development|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business Environment|Debt MarketsPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishDoing business 2014 : United States - understanding regulations for small and medium-size enterprisesWorking PaperEnglishRest Of The WorldE-Business|Business in Development|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business Environment|Debt MarketsPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesEngineers, Innovative Capacity and Development in the AmericasUsing newly collected national and sub-national data, and historical case studies, this paper argues that differences in innovative capacity, captured by the density of engineers at the dawn of the Second Industrial Revolution, are important to explaining present income differences, and, in particular, the poor performance of Latin America relative to North America. This remains the case after controlling for literacy, other higher order human capital, such as lawyers, as well as demand side elements that might be confounded with engineering. The analysis then finds that agglomeration, certain geographical fundamentals, and extractive institutions such as slavery affect innovative capacity. However, a large effect associated with being a Spanish colony remains suggesting important inherited factors. </div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000158349_20140325133012&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-03-25T04:00:00.000Z2014-03-25T04:00:00.000ZTechnology Industry|E-Business|Tertiary Education|Political Economy|ICT Policy and StrategiesIndustry|Information and Communication Technologies|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Education|Private Sector DevelopmentLatin America|Canada|United StatesLatin America & Caribbean|Rest Of The WorldEnglishEngineers, Innovative Capacity and Development in the AmericasPolicy Research Working PaperEnglishLatin America & Caribbean|Rest Of The WorldTechnology Industry|E-Business|Tertiary Education|Political Economy|ICT Policy and StrategiesIndustry|Information and Communication Technologies|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Education|Private Sector DevelopmentLatin America|Canada|United StatesTransmitting renewable energy to the grid : the case of TexasThe note is based on an original work by Marcelino Madrigal and Steven Stoft entitled, "Transmission Expansion for Renewable Energy Scale-Up: Emerging Lessons and Recommendations". Texas leads the United States with 9,528 MW of installed wind power capacity, a level exceeded by only four countries. The state needed more infrastructure to transmit electricity generated from renewable sources, but the regulator could not approve transmission expansion projects in the absence of financially committed generators. To solve the problem, Texas devised a planning process that quickly connects energy systems to the transmission system. The system is based on the designation of competitive renewable energy zones.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000456286_20140224131403&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-02-24T05:00:00.000Z2014-02-24T05:00:00.000ZEnergy Production and Transportation|Energy Demand|Power & Energy Conversion|Urban Environment|Rural EnergyEnergy|Urban DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishTransmitting renewable energy to the grid : the case of TexasBriefEnglishRest Of The WorldEnergy Production and Transportation|Energy Demand|Power & Energy Conversion|Urban Environment|Rural EnergyEnergy|Urban DevelopmentUnited StatesUnited States - China external imbalance and the global financial crisisThis paper advances an alternative explanation of the large external imbalance between the United States (U.S.) and China, and its linkages to the current global financial crisis. The authors show that U.S. current account deficits dated back long before the emergence of China's recent large trade surpluses, with China accounting at its peak for at most one-third of this deficit. The relative rise in China's savings in recent years can be attributed to an increase in its corporate savings, a trend which reflects distortions arising from the transition process from a planned to a market economy. These distortions exacerbate China's income inequality, causing domestic consumption to remain a small share of gross domestic product (GDP). Large recent current account deficits in the U.S., on the other hand, can be attributed to public sector dissaving's and perverse incentives generated by housing and equity bubbles, made possible by loose monetary policy and by "innovative" financial derivatives arising from the financial deregulation in the early 1980s. The paper shows that short run measures are unlikely to fully address these external imbalances. Both countries require long run, structural measures to resolve the underlying problems and to restore a sustainable foundation for growth.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20140217123637&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2014-02-17T05:00:00.000Z2014-02-17T05:00:00.000ZCurrencies and Exchange Rates|Debt Markets|Emerging Markets|Economic Theory & Research|Access to FinanceMacroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited States|ChinaRest Of The World|East Asia and PacificEnglishUnited States - China external imbalance and the global financial crisisJournal ArticleEnglishRest Of The World|East Asia and PacificCurrencies and Exchange Rates|Debt Markets|Emerging Markets|Economic Theory & Research|Access to FinanceMacroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector Development|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited States|ChinaDoes fiscal decentralization result in a better business climate?Previous literature generally finds that greater fiscal decentralization is associated with faster economic growth, improved government performance, and stronger constraints on the Leviathan behavior of governments. Because economic growth critically depends on the presence of good government policies and institutions, the likely but untested link between these strands of literature is that greater decentralization probably improves growth because it results in government policies more conducive to entrepreneurship and business success. The authors test (and confirm) this hypothesis using several business climate measures for the United States (U.S.).</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20131227144910&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-12-27T05:00:00.000Z2013-12-27T05:00:00.000ZE-Business|Debt Markets|Business Environment|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business in DevelopmentPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishDoes fiscal decentralization result in a better business climate?Journal ArticleEnglishRest Of The WorldE-Business|Debt Markets|Business Environment|Competitiveness and Competition Policy|Business in DevelopmentPrivate Sector Development|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesDoes the internet reduce corruption? : evidence from U.S. states and across countriesThe authors test the hypothesis that the internet is a useful technology for controlling corruption. In order to do so, the authors develop a novel identification strategy for internet diffusion. Power disruptions damage digital equipment, which increases the user cost of information technology (IT) capital, and thus lowers the speed of internet diffusion. A natural phenomenon causing power disruptions is lightning activity, which makes lightning a viable instrument for internet diffusion. Using ground-based lightning detection censors as well as global satellite data, the authors construct lightning density data for the contiguous United States (U.S.) states and a large cross section of countries. Empirically, lightning density is a strong instrument for internet diffusion and the authors' fourth estimates suggest that the emergence of the internet has served to reduce the extent of corruption across U.S. states and across the world.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000442464_20131216124105&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-12-16T05:00:00.000Z2013-12-16T05:00:00.000ZTechnology Industry|Information Security & Privacy|E-Business|Governance Indicators|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption MeasuresIndustry|Information and Communication Technologies|Public Sector Development|Governance|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishDoes the internet reduce corruption? : evidence from U.S. states and across countriesJournal ArticleEnglishRest Of The WorldTechnology Industry|Information Security & Privacy|E-Business|Governance Indicators|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption MeasuresIndustry|Information and Communication Technologies|Public Sector Development|Governance|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRural homeownership and labor mobility in the United StatesAre rural homeowners in the workforce as mobile as urban? This paper focuses on whether rural unemployed homeowners end their unemployment spells more or less often without moving than urban homeowners. A competing hazard model is estimated using a five year panel that controls for the demographics of the individuals and the economic characteristics of their workplaces. The author find evidence that unemployed rural homeowners appear to be less mobile than unemployed urban homeowners, which may suggest the presence of a lock-in effect similar to those identified by other researchers associated with subsidized housing, homeownership compared to renting, and mortgage illiquidity.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000333037_20131021154609&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-10-21T04:00:00.000Z2013-10-21T04:00:00.000ZLabor Markets|Labor Policies|Population Policies|Rural Poverty Reduction|Housing & Human HabitatsPoverty Reduction|Social Protections and Labor|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human SettlementsUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishRural homeownership and labor mobility in the United StatesJournal ArticleEnglishRest Of The WorldLabor Markets|Labor Policies|Population Policies|Rural Poverty Reduction|Housing & Human HabitatsPoverty Reduction|Social Protections and Labor|Health, Nutrition and Population|Communities and Human SettlementsUnited StatesOil price volatility, economic growth and the hedging role of renewable energyThis paper investigates the adverse effects of oil price volatility on economic activity and the extent to which countries can hedge against such effects by using renewable energy. By considering the Realized Volatility of oil prices, rather than following the standard approach of considering oil price shocks in levels, the effects of factor price uncertainty on economic activity are analyzed. Sample countries represent developed and developing, oil importing and exporting and service/industry-based economies (United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea, India, and Malaysia) and thus complement the standard literature's analysis of Western OECD countries. In a vector auto-regressive setting, Granger causality tests, impulse response functions, and variance decompositions show that oil price volatility has more-adverse effects in all sample countries than oil price shocks alone can explain. The paper finds that the sensitivity to oil price volatility varies widely across countries and discusses various factors which may determine the level of sensitivity (such as sectoral composition and the energy mix). This implies that the standard approach of solely considering net oil importer-exporter status is not sufficient. Simulations of volatility shocks in hypothetical energy mixes (with increased renewable shares) illustrate the potential economic benefits resulting from efforts to disconnect the macroeconomy from volatile commodity markets. It is concluded that expanding renewable energy can in principle reduce an economy's vulnerability to oil price volatility, but a country-specific analysis would be necessary to identify concrete policy measures. Overall, the paper provides an additional rationale for reducing exposure and vulnerability to oil price volatility for the sake of economic growth.</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000158349_20130916160608&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-09-16T04:00:00.000Z2013-09-16T04:00:00.000ZEnergy Production and Transportation|Climate Change Economics|Markets and Market Access|Energy Demand|Emerging MarketsEnergy|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited States|Japan|Germany|Malaysia|IndiaRest Of The World|East Asia and Pacific|Europe and Central Asia|South AsiaEnglishOil price volatility, economic growth and the hedging role of renewable energyPolicy Research Working PaperEnglishRest Of The World|East Asia and Pacific|Europe and Central Asia|South AsiaEnergy Production and Transportation|Climate Change Economics|Markets and Market Access|Energy Demand|Emerging MarketsEnergy|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Private Sector DevelopmentUnited States|Japan|Germany|Malaysia|IndiaUnited States of America - Macro-fiscal context and health financing factsheetThe 14 indicators describe a country's macro-fiscal environment to identify constraints or opportunities for health systems financing. For each indicator two aspects are important: level and trend. A country with a 10 percent unemployment rate that has fallen from 15 percent may be in better shape than one with an 8 percent unemployment rate that has risen from 4 percent. It is also important to benchmark to group averages of countries in the same Word Bank (WB) region (EAS, ECS, LCN, MEA, NAC, SAS, or SSF) and income group (HIC, upper MIC, lower MIC, or LIC).</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000333037_20130821154511&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-08-21T04:00:00.000Z2013-08-21T04:00:00.000ZHealth Monitoring & Evaluation|Debt Markets|Health Systems Development & Reform|Health Economics & Finance|Economic Theory & ResearchHealth, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishUnited States of America - Macro-fiscal context and health financing factsheetBriefEnglishRest Of The WorldHealth Monitoring & Evaluation|Debt Markets|Health Systems Development & Reform|Health Economics & Finance|Economic Theory & ResearchHealth, Nutrition and Population|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesUsing history to inform development policy : the role of archivesThe value of archives is richly evident in this publication, which provides an overview of the presentations at an October 2012 workshop sponsored in part by the World Bank Group Archives. The workshop concerned the role of archivists, scholars, and development practitioners in using history to inform development policy, linking a growing scholarly interest in the history of development with the World Bank Group's open agenda initiative strengthened in 2010 through the Access to Information policy. The World Bank Group Archives is a global resource, capturing information for over 60 years and offering new potential for bringing historical research to bear on development policies and practice. Devesh Kapur delivered the keynote address; Tony Addison provided closing remarks; and seven sessions were chaired by William H. Becker, Pamela Cox, Vijayendra Rao, James Boughton, Célestin Monga, Gianni Toniolo, and Hassane Cissé. These seven sessions were presented as follows: From Bank to Development Agency: Implications for the World Bank's Mission, Governance, and Policy (by Kathryn C. Lavelle, Michele Alacevich, Alain de Janvry, and Jean-Jacques Dethier); Constructive World Bank-Client Partnerships: Three Case Studies (by Rahul Mukherji, Giovanni Zanalda, and W. J. Dorman); Dialogues of Development: Past Contestations, Present Policy (by Daniel Immerwahr, Michael Woolcock, Trudy Huskamp Peterson); The Role of Archives in International Organizations (by Elisa Liberatori Prati, Pamela Tripp-Melby, and Bridget Sisk); Exploring Archives on the Role of Development Practitioners: Africa (by Teresa Tomas Rangil, Stephanie Decker, Gareth Austin, and Keith Breckenridge); The United Kingdom, the United States, and the World Bank's Development Policy (by Simon Szreter and Alexander Field); and Sailing Back to the Future: History and Policy Making at the World Bank (by Frank Fariello, Alessandra Iorio, Vikram Raghava, and Aristedis Panou).</div><img src="http://wbws.worldbank.org/feeds/main/tracker.html?p=000356161_20130814130652&db=doc&feedName=us_all&feedClass=COU&cid=3001_175" height=1 width=1 border=0></div>2013-08-14T04:00:00.000Z2013-08-14T04:00:00.000ZBanks & Banking Reform|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption Measures|Corporate Law|Economic Theory & Research|Hazard Risk ManagementLaw and Development|Public Sector Development|Urban Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited StatesRest Of The WorldEnglishUsing history to inform development policy : the role of archivesWorking PaperEnglishRest Of The WorldBanks & Banking Reform|Public Sector Corruption & Anticorruption Measures|Corporate Law|Economic Theory & Research|Hazard Risk ManagementLaw and Development|Public Sector Development|Urban Development|Macroeconomics and Economic Growth|Finance and Financial Sector DevelopmentUnited States